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Police Searching for Suspect in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Bike Thefts

By Janet Upadhye | June 24, 2015 12:12pm
 Police at the 88th precinct documented 13 bike thefts between May 15 and June 15.
Police at the 88th precinct documented 13 bike thefts between May 15 and June 15.
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DNAinfo/Janet Upadhye

FORT GREENE — Police are eyeing a suspect in a string of bike thefts over the past month in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. 

Of the 26 bicycles reported stolen from the 88th Precinct so far this year, 13 of the thefts occurred between May 15 and June 15, police said.

The majority of bikes were swiped from backyards and building vestibules, and police believe a single suspect is responsible for the majority of the crimes, said 88th Precinct Capt. Peter Fiorillo.

He said the suspect targets bikes that are locked up in less-public locations.

"We know who he is, we just haven't caught him yet," Fiorillo said at a recent precinct community council meeting. 

"If you leave your bike visible in the backyard, there is a good chance it will be stolen," he added. "Even if it is locked up."

In one incident, a woman walking her bike down Lexington Avenue was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects who ran off with her Pure Fix bicycle. The theft occurred in broad daylight on June 4 and the woman was not hurt, police said.

The suspects were not arrested and an investigation is ongoing, NYPD said.

A similar upswing in bike thefts occurred at the same time last year, according to police.

This map shows the number of major crimes reported to the NYPD and where they occurred in May 2015.